Teen Lee and Kung hold joint lead in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Australian teenager Minjee Lee and Taiwan’s Candie Kung shot fiveunder-par 67s to share the HSBC Women’s Champions lead at the top of a tight firstround leaderboard yesterday.
Defending champion Park In-Bee was among four players one stroke back and world No.1 Lydia Ko was four off the pace in tied 27th after a hot, windswept day at the par-72 Serapong course on Sentosa island.
Kung shot to the top of the leaderboard with five bogeys and an eagle in the 12th. Two bogeys on the 13th and 15th failed to dislodge the world No.41 from the tournament lead.
Later Lee, 19, who is seeking her second career victory, joined the 34-year-old Taiwanese at the top with four birdies and an eagle.
“I love wind. Windy is good. It makes it tough for everybody. Brings everybody into the game. You have to hit good shots out there and make your putts, “said Kung.
The wind also gave Lee’s game a lift, highlighted by an eagle on the par-five 12th.
“I hit my five-wood into the green, and it was a little into the wind, so I think I had like 200 meters [yards] in,” said the Aussie.
“Just hit the bottom tier and stayed there, so I was putting over the tier. It was about 30 feet and I made it. It was a nice eagle there.”
Park, the world No.2, hit five birdies but also a bogey on the par-three 17th — after not carding any bogeys at all in last year’s run to the title.
“It’s gonna come at some point,” the 27-year-old told AFP. “It’s actually easy to get it over with today and just play without the pressure for next few days. It’s okay, it just happens for a reason.”
Ko, who is recovering from a cold, said she had a few adjustments to make as she seeks her first win in the tournament.
“My club selection wasn’t that great today,” said the 18-year-old New Zealander.
“So I’ve just got to get a hang of the wind and with how breezy it is sometimes and with the elevation when you’re out there, it feels more or less and then it’s a little different when it’s down there.”